A New Hope
by CorneliaMarie
Summary: Long ago a group of brave knights were formed to defeat an evil force. Unfortunately betrayal amongst them ended up destroying them. Now they are reborn in our time to finish what they started so long ago. Can they reunite and overcome their dark past or are they doomed to repeat history once more? Pairings: M/M,M/F,F/F. Full summary on profile.


Prologue- The Tale Of A Kingdom

_Once upon a time, there was a beautiful kingdom… It seemed as if with God's very hands He created the kingdom and the entire splendor that surrounded it. Miles upon miles of beautiful green fields stretched beyond the kingdom. The forests that protected it from foreign kingdoms were full of life and wonders. Even the village seemed as if it came from a masterpiece artwork. The homes and stores were all made of perfect white stone and the streets were kept squeaky clean. But what was truly the crown jewel of this place was the castle. The castle was made of only the best marble that could ever be found. Whenever the sun hit the castle the walls shined like a beautiful diamond. A variety of flowers and plants were planted around the castle to enhance its majestic charm. _

_The creatures that lived within the forests and the fields added to the mysticism of the kingdom. According to ancient tales, fairies and other mystical creatures dwelled within the forests. From magnificent beasts to the tiniest of creatures, all kinds of creatures lived within the kingdom's grounds. The people of the kingdom were able to live harmoniously with all of Mother Nature's children. _

_Yet what truly made this place beautiful were the people who dwelled within it. The light that was in their hearts ruled all the kingdom's subjects. The light was what kept the beauty of the kingdom. The people knew nothing of violence or hatred. Everyone was kind to each other and never showed ill feelings toward their fellow man. Peace and love ultimately was the ruling of all the people. Never once did darkness show its ugly nature to anyone or anything within the kingdom walls…_

…_Until…_

_Something evil, something horrible was able to breach the kingdom walls. It came as swift as a thief in the night. A dark force was able to penetrate the hearts of the kingdom's subjects. Slowly it spread its poison within them and contaminated their very soul. People began to give in to the darkness of their hearts. Instead of listening to the light of their hearts they listened to their inner demons. They allowed their darkness to take over them and their very home. The kingdom was too beginning to fall under the darkness' seductive charm. _

_This power was indeed strong so only the strong of heart were able to control it. Those who did not have a strong heart changed to show what was living within them… Monsters. Creatures of darkness that were once people began to roam the kingdom's streets. With them they carried a hunger that could only be satisfied by consuming even more power. Those who did not turn to these creatures suffered an even worse fate; a fate so horrible it is said to be worse than death itself. They lost their very souls to this power. They were doomed to spend the rest of their days as only an empty shell of the person they once were. _

_It seemed that all hope was lost for this kingdom. No one seemed to look to the light anymore. They only had eyes for the dark force that promised them power. People who were too fearful of this darkness fled to the safety of the forest. There they hoped and prayed to the gods above that they would grant them a savior to rid the evil. Yet as time passed the light of hope seemed to dim more and more. People began to realize that the gods had condemned them and would not answer their prayers. They decided to let go of their empty dreams and wait for the darkness to consume them as well._

_Yet… When it did seem that all hope was lost and there was no light left, something came. Actually it was some**one**…_

_Watching the horror of his kingdom changing from the castle, a prince was horrified of what he saw. He remembered as a little boy when his kingdom was a place where only light seemed to live. No darkness was able to dim that glow within the kingdom's heart. Though he was proven wrong when a man came to their kingdom. He told his parents how he came from a powerful kingdom and wished to make theirs just as strong. Curious, the king asked exactly how this man's kingdom was able to flourish. The stranger told them he was blessed with a power that came from the gods themselves. It rained down from the heavens and granted his kingdom the power to help it grow to an empire, a force to be reckoned with. At first the king and queen were skeptical of this so-called 'power of the gods'. They demanded that the stranger show them exactly what power he was talking about to them. He showed them a small stone that resembled just an average emerald. The king and queen couldn't help but laugh at the man. How could a simple stone hold such power? He told them that looks could be quite deceiving and to not underestimate the stone. With the stone he demonstrated how he could summon a very powerful force. Instantly the royal couple was captivated by the power the stone contained. The man told them that he would give them his power, but with a price. He asked if he could be apart of the king's court and call this kingdom his home. So entranced by the power's seductive charm they agreed to his deal. With the power in their hands they introduced it to their subjects. They told them how it would strengthen their kingdom and make them more powerful than ever. That day everything changed and the kingdom the prince once called home was ripped away._

_The prince tried to convince his parents that the stone was evil and it was destroying their kingdom. His warnings fell on deaf ears as his parents decided to ignore their son. They told him that on the contrary this power was helping their kingdom. That it was helping them build a kingdom that would be a force not to be reckoned with. Deciding that his parents were a lost cause he stopped trying to convince them. He sat in the castle watching his beloved people being devoured by their inner darkness. He too took on the habit of praying to the gods. He begged them to not forsake his kingdom and its people. He asked if they could save his kingdom before it was too late. Everyday he faithfully went to the castle's prayer room. He would spend his whole day praying for his people that they be saved from this evil. Every time he went in there he hoped that the gods would send him at least a sign that they did care about his kingdom. Each night when he left the room he felt his hope grow dimmer and dimmer as his prayers went unanswered. Eventually he began to wonder if it was worth it to continue praying for his other prayers went unanswered. One day he decided that he was going to try the gods one last time. If he saw no change or not even a sign things were going to look up then he would cease his praying. Like any other day he walked into his prayer room and began his prayers. As he sat there an idea crossed his mind. Instead of praying for them to do something he would pray that they give them the power to defeat this evil._

"_I pray to the gods above that you would grant us the power to vanquish this evil. Perhaps instead of you helping us we should be helping ourselves. Yet to do that we need the power to fight this darkness head on…Please, we cannot do this on our own. I beg of you to send us a power that can destroy this evil once and for all."_

_When he finished his prayer he got up to leave the room. As he was about to leave something stopped him in his tracks. He turned around and in front of him stood a man. He looked as if he was a king with the way he was dressed. The man told the prince that the gods heard all of his prayers. He told him his prayers did not fall on deaf ears. With that he pulled something out of his coat pocket. He presented the prince with a dazzling ring. He told the prince that the ring had the power necessary to defeat the evil that plagued his kingdom. The man told him that it was up to him to save the kingdom from a terrible fate. At first the prince couldn't accept the ring. He tried to tell the man that he couldn't be the one to save his people. Someone else had to be more qualified to save the kingdom and its subjects. The man just put the ring in the prince's hand in response. The regal figure walked past the shocked prince and was about to leave the room. Yet, before he left the room he gave the prince some parting words:_

"_A prince, along with his knights, shall rise up against evil with a power they only possess. With this power they will seal the evil once and for all. They are the only ones that can face the darkness in combat. They will represent the light that will shine bright within the darkness. They are the hope this world desperately needs. Remember these words your highness."_

_With that the man exited the prayer room, leaving behind a very shocked prince. The young man couldn't help but just sit in the room and stare at the ring. He kept going over and over in his head the words the stranger left. At first he couldn't believe that he was chosen to fight for the kingdom. How could he have been chosen to shoulder such a responsibility? Didn't the gods understand that he was not the person suitable for this task? Yet, as he sat there deliberating over everything that has happened he slowly started to gain confidence in himself. He began to accept that the gods chose him to yield a power necessary to battle the darkness. He was chosen to save his people and his home from a terrible fate. He was the prince of this kingdom and it is his responsibility to protect his kingdom. With the ring in his hand he made a vow to the gods and his people that he would vanquish the evil. With newfound courage the prince made his way out of the prayer room. He was making his way towards the strategy room where he would start planning on how to fight his enemy. _

_Remembering the man's words, the prince understood he could not go into battle alone. He needed brave knights to join his side in the task of defeating evil. With the help of a messenger he sent out a message to anyone who wanted to fight for the kingdom. In a matter of a couple of days he started getting responses from those interested in fighting. As the prince read all the responses a thought struck him. How was he supposed to know whom exactly to pick? According to the man the knights wielded the power to defeat their foe. How was he supposed to decide who had this power? _

_The ring…That's right, the ring apparently had power in it. The prince could use it to track down his knights. He sent his messenger to tell those who are interested that he was holding a competition. Those who were strong and brave enough to complete his competition had the qualities to be a knight. The next day all those who were interested met in the fields on the outskirt of the kingdom. What confused them was there were no targets, obstacle course, or people to fight. They were confused on how they were supposed to compete to be a knight. The prince explained that he would individually interview each of them and from there they would compete. One by one he spoke to the people who were interested in fighting. He would glance at his ring and see if there was a reaction of any sign; perhaps a hint that his knights were among these people. Yet not one person had the ring reacting in any way, which meant only one thing, none of these people were his knights. He sent everyone who was their home, telling them that unfortunately they were not the people he was looking for. He was about to leave to return to the castle when something compelled him to turn around. He slowly turned around and saw a group of people make their way towards him. The group looked like kids that were around his age. Some though looked a little older or a little younger than he was. A blinking white light came from the prince's ring as the group made their way to him. The prince realized exactly who they all were; they were his knights. They were the ones that were going to help him fight the evil that invaded his kingdom._

_The group of men and women that approached him did not seem to be the type to be knights. A couple looked to be of noble birth and the rest looked like average peasants. None looked like the types to jump on a horse and ride into battle. Yet the similarity between that caught the prince's eye was that they were all wearing the same necklace. The pendant they wore seemed to have the same white stone as his ring did. Only one of them stepped out of the group, a tall man with chestnut-brown hair and ice blue eyes. He simply gave the prince a piece of paper and stepped back in the group. The letter was written in gold ink that glittered like jewelry in the sun. The letter described that they were called by fate to be a part of a group that was destined to be a great burden. They, as knights, were to assist the prince in saving their world from the very darkness that invaded their home. It ended with the description of the very pendant the knights wore. It described how this necklace granted them power that was to be used to bring light into the world. _

_The knights and the prince were finally united as a group. They decided that they should have a name for themselves. A name that, when spoken, would bring hope to their kingdom. They decided to call themselves Equitis Deorum, the Knights of the Gods*. With the group united and a name to call themselves, the last thing they needed was a place to meet where no one would find them. They decided to meet in an abandoned temple not too far from the kingdom. There they can train without those who were loyal to darkness to catch them. The group was finally established so now all they had to do was wage war on those who corrupted their home. _

_At night they would ride through the kingdom and fight those who worked for the dark side. With the power of the prince's ring they were able to even free those that were turned into monsters. With each passing night they were able to successfully fight against their enemy. The news of what the knights and the prince were doing spread like wildfire throughout the kingdom. People who were living in hiding from the evil started to come out to join their kingdom. Hope began to make its way into the hearts of those that were unaffected by the evil power. The gods had indeed been listening to their prayers and sent them a savior to save them. The light which was once dim in the kingdom began to get brighter and brighter with each passing day. The darkness seemed to have been slowly getting conquered by the light of hope. Indeed the knights and the prince were fulfilling the duty that was bestowed upon them by the gods. They were going to succeed in saving not only their kingdom but also the world itself…_

…_But all good things must come to end…_

_A man watched with horror each passing day, as the knights were able to fight against his power. Never before had anyone came close to being able to defeat him or his power. Yet here was this group of knights that was making his power look weak. They were destroying all of his hard work right before his eyes. He knew he had to do something fast before they were going to completely destroy everything. He knew that sending more men out to fight them was pointless as they clearly showed they were able to defeat his men. No, he had to strike the knights at their very heart and he had the perfect idea on how to do it. He knew that at least one of them had to have had a darkness hidden deep down. All he had to do was find the one in the group that, deep down, were power-hungry. He was going to have one of them be the one to bring down the group once and for all. The only problem was which one would be the perfect person to bring destruction to their little group._

_Their leader…Ah yes, the very prince himself. The one whom did his subjects revere as a hero. The one destined to save them from the darkness and bring the light back. Yes, he was the perfect one to help him destroy the knights for good. He would get the prince to join his side. Without a leader the knights would crumble as a group since they would have no one to guide them. Also, he could have the prince give him the power of his knights and his own power to him to use. All he needed was their power and he would finally succeed in his mission. Their souls had the power that could fuel his victory. At least, that was what was shown to him. That was the reason he even came here to this kingdom in the first place. He needed to achieve the souls of those that possessed the power of the gods. Once he obtained their power he could just dispose of their bodies so they would remain gone forever. First though he had to focus on the prince then he could focus on getting the knights._

_Establishing contact with the prince was simple for they lived in the same place. It was during dinner one evening did the man decide to make his move on the young prince. He sat next to him and started small talk with the boy. At first the prince didn't really speak to him a lot, but soon he started to slowly get more involved in the conversation. Soon it seemed that no one could break the two up as they were only focusing on the other. That dinner would not be the last time the two talked to each other. The next day they decided to sit together at all three meals and talked amongst themselves the whole time. Everyday the man made sure he was the one sitting next to the prince at each meal. One day though it was finally the prince that sat next to him during one meal. After that day their talking happened outside of meals as well. He devoted most of his free time spending it with the man and the kingdom knew about it, including the knights themselves…_

_Rumors started to spread about the possibility that the two were romantically involved with each other. The rumors even reached the king and queen themselves. The revelation of a possible romance between the two only excited the royal couple. This could be the perfect opportunity to get their son to marry someone they approved. The whole castle was starting to feel the love for the possibility of the two marrying each other. They weren't the only ones though thinking about the two getting married. The man himself started to feel attracted to the young prince. He had beauty that could rival even the most beautiful woman in the kingdom. Especially when he had eyes the color of amethyst jewels that glittered in the sunlight. The boy also possessed a power the man couldn't help but feel drawn to. He felt the prince was the only one worthy to be his 'bride'. With him marrying the prince he would become king and the prince would be his queen. He decided that he would go through with proposing to the prince to marry him. Before he proposed to the prince he went to his parents and sought for their permission to have their son's hand marriage. They eagerly accepted his proposal and wished him luck. He decided to have one of his stones to be used to make a beautiful engagement ring befitting of a future queen. When he proposed to the prince he presented to him the ring. He told the boy not only would he marry a very powerful man, but he would also gain power beyond his wildest dreams. Seduced by the promise of ultimate power the prince eagerly accepted the man's proposal. News spread throughout the kingdom of their engagement. What seemed to be good news to some was terrible news to others._

_Those who knew who the man was immediately began leaving the kingdom for good. They knew that one the prince and him were married the king would give them the kingdom. That would mean that the man would be king himself. The knights themselves helped the people who wanted to leave to get out of the kingdom. They made sure they left during the night so the guards wouldn't see them. The people urged the knights to join them in leaving the kingdom. Everyone knew that one the man was king he would seal the knights' fates. Keeping true to their promise of protecting their home they ignored their pleas. The knights knew very well that their fate was not a good one now that their leader was to marry their foe. Yet they still stayed to protect those who decided to stay for as long as they could. How long they had though was in the air, as no one knew exactly when they were going to be captured. For the remainder of their days they decided to just stay put in their hideout._

_With his engagement ring the prince changed slowly everyday. The person he once was was being taken over by the darkness. People who lived in the castle began to notice that their prince was becoming a new person. No one though approached him about his change since they were too afraid to. To fully rid himself of the person he once was the prince took off his ring that he got from the gods. Once he took off his ring the last sliver of his old self died. He was completely taken over by the dark power of his new ring. _

_The wedding came only two months after the two became engaged. It was actually a lovely day, perfect for a wedding. All of the nobles showed up to watch their beloved prince marry their future king. On the same day as their wedding the king announced to the couple that he was going to give them his throne as a wedding gift. The prince himself also decided to give his husband a wedding gift. He told him where exactly his former knights were possibly hidden. He told him that they were hiding out in an old temple that was located not too far away from the kingdom. The day after their wedding the new king sent the guard to where the knights were located. When the guard got there the knights were inside the temple. They went with the guards without even trying to struggle. They only went willingly as they felt there was no point in fighting._

_In a simple trial they were charged with treason and sentenced to hang. On the day of their execution they were brought in front of everyone in the kingdom. Their former leader himself read to his subjects the reason they were to hang. It was also announced by the prince that they were to lose their souls so they could not move on. They would remain their prisoners for all eternity. With the use of his ring the prince took the former knights' souls. Immediately afterward their bodies were hung until death. That day was the beginning of the kingdom's ultimate demise. Hope died that day along with the knights. After their execution people lost hope completely in a possible salvation. There were even those who decided that they would rather die than live on in the darkness. They took their own lives so they wouldn't have to continue living in darkness. _

_The man felt victorious, as he now required the power necessary to end humanity for good. The prince's and the knights' powers now belonged to him. He immediately dedicated their power to his god. Once done he now had to wait for the day to come when he would finally destroy this planet. He would finally achieve his goal in ridden the planet of the filth that polluted it. As time passed nothing happened and the man grew impatient. His queen could even since the change in his husband. Everyday he continued to encourage his husband to be patient. Eventually though not even his words could do anything to soothe his husband's anxiety. After waiting for some time the man began to wonder if he overlooked something. An idea struck him, what if he captured the wrong people? What if he was supposed to go after someone else? _

_While his husband was busy the former prince kept himself busy by looking after his kingdom. One day he found himself bored just sitting around the castle. He decided on going for a little horseback ride among the fields outside of the kingdom. He told his husband of his plans and left the castle. As he rode amongst the fields he found himself heading towards a familiar place. He was heading towards the direction of the abandoned temple. He immediately thought to turn the horse around, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He instead kept going to the temple until he reached it. Once there he got off his horse and walked up to it. Something in him told him to walk inside the temple. He hesitantly opened the door and walked inside. When he went inside a bunch of emotions hit him. Standing in the temple he suddenly realized what he had done. He betrayed his team, his kingdom, and himself. He turned his back on everything he stood all for just so he could get a taste of power. Tears filled his eyes as he recalled the day of the knights' execution. He was the one that took their souls and sentenced them to death. He could think of only one way to make everything right, to fix everything he did wrong. _

_That night he grabbed a box out of his old room from when he was a prince. The box contained within the ring that held the power he once used to protect his kingdom. With it he rode back to the old temple. He went inside and kneeled before the altar. _

"_I pray that gods grant the knights a second chance. Do not condemn them for my mistakes. I am the one who did wrong, not them. In anyway you can I pray that you give them a second chance at life. I will even leave my ring for them so they will have the power to fight this evil. I hope that whomever you choose to wield my power that they will not make the same mistakes as I have. Our world is in grave danger and it needs someone to save it. Please, bless this world with the hero it deserves before it is too late."_

_With that he ended his prayer to the gods. He took a knife out of his belt and held it above his heart. His hands shook with fear from what is to come. Tears streamed down his face as flashbacks hit him. Memories of his short time with his knights played in his mind. He remembered how close of friends he became with them. They were practically considered a part of his family. Then flashbacks of his love for one of his knights came to him. The feelings he felt for the man pained his heart to feel. He could still remember those beautiful blue eyes that looked at him with love, even when he was being executed. He still looked at him with such love._

'_My love, I hope you forgive me…I love you so much.'_

_With the memories of his true love he stabbed himself right in the heart. He instantly died from the blade. His body fell right on top of the box that held the ring. Not long after his death a group entered the temple. A Middle Eastern looking man made his way to where the prince's body laid. He looked down at the body with only remorse in his eyes. He gently moved the body from the box it laid on. With care he picked up the box and wiped off any blood that got on it. He turned to his group with the box in his hand._

"_We will tear down this temple and build a tomb for the knights. We will bury them here where they belong. We will bury the prince among them as well. He deserves to be buried beside his loved ones. It looks like he understood the severity of his actions."_

_The group did not argue with the man's decision. They agreed that they deserved a proper burial, including the prince himself. To make sure no one would disturb the temple the man put a strong protection spell on it. The place was now a grave and he would make sure it was not disturbed. That night he sent a letter out to the king that would tell him of the prince's death. Although his group felt the man did not deserve closure he wouldn't listen to them. He argued that the man was still the prince's husband and he had the right to know of his queen's fate._

_The news was received the very next day by the king. Upon hearing the death of his queen the king fell in despair. He couldn't grasp the idea of the former prince taking his own life. He told his subjects the news that they no longer had a queen. The death of the prince caused some of the subjects to fell in despair. There were people who held hope that the prince they knew and loved would come back to save them. Now they knew that this could never happen for he was now dead. With nothing now keeping him in there, the man relinquished his title and left the kingdom for good. Other people follow suit since there was nothing left for them to look to there. Eventually the entire kingdom was abandoned and left to decay with time. _

_The tomb of the knights was successfully built after much time spent on it. The bodies of the knights were dug up from their unmarked graves and placed in the tomb. The prince was placed amongst the knights as well in the tomb. The sorcerer stood in the burial chamber where their caskets were placed. In his hands held the box the prince left. He was considering burying the ring with its owner but something made him go against that idea. He just stood there contemplating on what to do with the box. The only one who could use was now dead which meant it was useless. A woman made her way to the sorcerer to tell him something important. She explained to him that she had a vision that the knights were alive again along with the prince. She told him how she believed that they were going to be reborn. The gods were going to bring them back once again to finish what they started. The news brought hope to the man that they stood a chance against this evil. All they had to do was wait until the knights were reborn._

_And wait they did. For centuries they waited for any sign that the knights were back. At exactly 1000 years later something big happen. In a hospital at a city in Japan a baby was born. The couple rejoiced as they met their lovely baby boy for the first time. _

"_I'm going to call you Yami…"_

_What this little boy and his parents didn't know was that he was born for greatness. He was the one who will have to bear the burden of saving mankind. He had no idea that there were people now celebrating his birth. The birth of this baby boy also brought the birth of a new hope. _

A/N- * That is Latin for those who don't recognize it

I came up with this knight idea a long time ago. For years I have been writing and rewriting it. Sorry if this seemed a bit rushed. I didn't want it to be too long to the point where it was boring. I just wanted to give all of you the general back-story. One big inspiration for some of the parts of the story actually came from Sailor Moon. The story about how Serenity lost Prince Endymion and ended up commiting suicide so she wouldn't bear living without him. I incorporating some of the components of that tale into my story. Another thing I stole is that my knights have to be found and reawakened. Just like how all the Sailor Scouts had to be found. The last thing I stole was everyone was reincarnated so they could finish the task they never completed. Fantasy stories about knights trying to defeat an evil sorcerer was also an inspiration to me.

As the story progresses we'll learn more about the knights in the past. Reason why I didn't want to reveal names is because it adds mystery to the tale. I already know who the knights are. Now I want you to guess who they are. I did leave a hint about one of the knights. I have a feeling that you already know who the prince is supposed to be. The bad guy is simple to predict, as should be the sorcerer and the woman. The knights are the ones I want to keep secret though, it adds some fun into the story ) I will tell you if you have an idea if you give me your guesses and the way to do that is by reviewing. See you at the next update!


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